ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE 23RD SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST, THE CHOIR OF THE HOLY UNMERCENARY PHYSICIANS, NOVEMBER 20TH, 2011

Metropolitan Hilarion to Serve and Ordain – God willing, he will come and serve with us on Friday and Saturday, December 2nd and 3rd, and will perform the ordination of Father Deacon Christopher Johnson to the priesthood during the Divine Liturgy on Saturday morning.  We have so far heard that several other clergy are joining us as well.  Glory to God!  Please keep Father Christopher and Matushka Dorothy in your prayers.  Also, God willing, Metropolitan Hilarion will add to the festivities the ordination to the diaconate of Monk Damaskinos.  We can expect therefore in addition monastic guests, including Abbess Aemilliane and some of the sisters of the Convent of the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple.

A Souvenir of the Visit of the Myrrh-Streaming and Wonder-working Icon of the Mother of God of Iveron from Hawaii can be purchased for $15.  It is a booklet containing the Akathist of St. Romanos in large print and marked for singing,along with other devotional songs to the Mother of God.  We use it for our Wednesday evening prayers before our copy of the wonder-working icon. Please buy one for the support of our work, and use it in your own prayers.

Thanks are due to God’s help and inspiration – Through individual generosity borne in the hearts of givers, we have to date accumulated nearly $44,000.  As Augustine’s prescient thermometer shows, our current goal to enable us to move to our new property is $60,000.  The target keeps moving because research by our relocation and building group shows new needs.  This cannot be helped.  And, because our status here is vulnerable, we need to keep our goal to move ever in our prayers and help any way we can, by donations and expertise.  All these contributions can be channeled into the efforts of…

Our Relocation and Building Group – This group is formed to coordinate our relocation efforts.  If you would like to be part of this, please speak with Matushka Deborah.

Ongoing Financial Support for the Parish – Now is the time to make or renew your 2012 pledge.  We cannot calculate what Holy Apostles means to us.  But we can very much calculate the ongoing physical needs of the parish.  Our treasurer is starting work on our 2012 budget.  So please, fill out the pledge forms.  They are available at the candle stand.  Remember to complete the family information part.

The Use of Candles – A candle represents the prayer of the one who set it out.  During the service, please let the prayer complete itself by allowing the candle to burn into the sand.  Also, when lighting all the candles, please also don’t discard any remaining candle unless it is burned down to the sand, or very close to that.  If you pull it out to discard and discover that it still has some burning time left, please put it back for relighting.

Pray for and Visit the Aged – "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction." (James 1:27)
These ladies are all in Riderwood just west of Rte 95, just past Calverton Shopping Center and would appreciate contact and prayers: Olga Prisekin, Rosalie Belida, Betty Chisholm and Dorothy Dague.

Service Opportunities
Meal Signups – Add your name to the list to offer a meal in the upcoming weeks.  No onw has signed up for next week (November 27th.)
Church Cleaning – Be on the cleaning team and/or support with a $40 donation for a weekly cleaning.
Nick’s Place – Please contribute non-perishable goods for the local halfway house for young men recovering from substance abuse.
Holy Apostles Chariots takes turns picking up whoever needs a ride to church.  If you need a ride or would like be one of the charioteers, please speak to our “chief charioteer,” Kyril Shillenn.
The Choir needs people and if you can sing you can be one of them.  Rehearsals are on Thursday evenings at 7 PM.  This Thursday being Thanksgiving, there will be a special rehearsal on Wednesday evening after the Thanksgiving prayer.

Orthodox Christians on Campus is meeting this coming Tuesday evening at 7 PM as well as every Tuesday evening, in the chapel at the Catholic Student Center at the intersection of Guilford Drive and Knox Road by the University of Maryland in College Park.  If you know a student who is Orthodox at the University or a student who is curious about Orthodoxy, please let him know about this.  We have Vespers followed by a speaker or discussion and Q & A.  Sometimes we go out to eat afterwards.  This past Tuesday, there were upwards of 40 people in attendance for Fr. Daniel Byantoro’s talk. 

St. Joseph’s Young Adults, our Orthodox young people’s group from the Baltimore-Washington area, will resume meeting on Friday, December 9th, at 7 PM at the Rectory.

Today is our Thanksgiving Potluck, so let us please all gather and enjoy God’s bounty together and give thanks to Him for His many benefits, including the efforts he has inspired in those who prepared the meal.

Visitors and Guests please sign in the guest book to the right of the church-shaped donation box, and, if possible, include any contact information such as address, telephone and email.

Constantine Zalalas will be giving a talk at our church on Sunday evening, December 11th,, at 6PM.  He is part of the “Greek Friends of Holy Apostles” who are fervently working to help us raise the needed funds to build our church.  Please mark your calendar and come and support our parish and hear his inspiring talk.  A flyer is attached.